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By KYLE MANTHE
Special to TopSports.news
Seaman softball did not let getting outscored 24-4 in a doubleheader loss to Class 6A No. 3-ranked Washburn Rural last Friday rattle them.
Aspen Burgardt picked up a complete-game pitching victory in Seaman's 11-1 Senior Day win over Topeka High Tuesday. [Photo by Kyle Manthe/Special to TSN]
Instead, four days later the Vikings (7-6) responded with an 11-1 romp past Topeka High (3-7) on Tuesday night, completing a season sweep of the Trojans.
“Just very proud of our kids, that shows character, having a short memory, we talk about that all the time asking, ‘What’s our next best action?’ and they did a nice job tonight doing that,” said Seaman coach Jay Monhollon
Senior Aspen Burgardt tossed all five innings for the Vikings, allowing only one run on four hits and was recognized after the game as the only senior on Seaman’s 12-player varsity roster.
“Not only is she a great athlete but she’s a great person,” Monhollon said. “It’s easy to support her and encourage her to be successful. And she’s going to be successful in life just because she’s got high character.”
Burgardt had a strong showing of run support to pick up her Senior Day victory with the Vikings scoring nine runs in the third and fourth innings.
To get things started though Seaman scored two runs in the second inning on doubles from juniors Jersey Jellison and Paige Glasgow, the second scoring a run. Gracie Moe singled to score Glasgow.
Sophomore Kaelyn O'Rourke hit a two-run home run in Seaman's 11-1 win over Topeka High Tuesday. [Photo by Kyle Manthe/Special to TSN]
The Vikings picked up six hits in the third inning, five singles and a two-run home run from sophomore Kaelyn O’Rourke to complete the five-run inning.
Sophomore Montgomerie Freel hit a home run to lead Topeka High in an 11-1 loss at Seaman. [Photo by Kyle Manthe/Special to TSN]
Topeka High got its only run of the game in the top of the fourth inning on a solo home run by sophomore Montgomerie Freel over the left field wall. The other three hits for the Trojans were all singles.
Seaman scored its final four runs on three hits and one error in the field in the top of the fourth inning. Burgardt retired Topeka High in the fifth to complete the run rule in 75 minutes and give the Vikings a winning record once again.
“We’re just trying to be consistent. If we can just build on what we did today on Friday and then take that into next week,” Monhollon said. “The season is getting close to the end and getting close to the postseason, so we need to fine-tune some things and just be a little more consistent as we move forward.”
No Trojans reached base more than one time as Topeka High falls after returning from a layoff. Seaman picked up 12 hits to score its 11 runs. Junior Josie Hefner joined Moe, O’Rourke, Glasgow and Jellison in having two-hit games.
SEAMAN 9, TOPEKA HIGH 5
Topeka High (3-7) 000 10 -- 1 4 1
Seaman (7-6) 025 4X -- 11 12 2
W – Burgardt. L - Scheaffer. 2B – Seaman: Burgardt, Jellison, Glasgow. HR – Seaman: O’Rourke. Topeka High: Freel.
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
MAYETTA -- Shawnee Heights senior golf standout Alex Valdivia carded a 1-under-par 71 in Tuesday's Firekeeper Open to finish second among 64 players.
And if Valdivia had made a few more putts, an outstanding day could have been even better.
Shawnee Heights senior Alex Valdivia shot a 1-under-par 71 to finish second in Tuesday's Firekeeper Open. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"I couldn't putt, I wasn't putting well at all,'' Valdivia said. "I missed four putts that were about like three, three and a half feet. I was hitting it really well, I just couldn't putt.''
Topeka West junior Myles Alonzo also turned in a solid round on Tuesday, making birdie on his final hole to finish sixth with a 73.
opeka West junior Myles Alonzo shot a 73 Tuesday to place sixth in Tuesday's Firekeeper Open. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"I feel like the more I go on I'm getting way more consistent as far as hitting the fairway and hitting the green,'' Alonzo said. "I'm doing a lot more things way better than last year.''
Washburn Rural placed a city-high third as a team with a 302 total, led by senior Bryan Tyrell, who shot a career-best 74 to tie for seventh.
"I was hitting greens, I hit 15,'' Tyrell said. "I had a few three-putts, but hit my birdie putts. I'm feeling good. I was in a little slump a couple of weeks ago but I'm back to normal now and I've got the hot stick right now so it feels good.''
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By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
Monday night’s Centennial League soccer matchup between Hayden and Topeka High was a defensive battle for 71:15 at Hummer Sports Park before junior Jill Lenherr knocked in the game-winning goal to give the Wildcats a 1-0 victory.
Hayden junior Jill Lenherr scored the game-winning goal in the second half Monday night, giving the Wildcats a 1-0 Centennial League decision over Topeka High. [Photo by Trevor Falcon/Special to TSN]
Freshman goalkeeper Lauren Borjon (right) picked up the shutout in goal Monday as Hayden took a 1-0 Centennial League win over Topeka High. [Photo by Trevor Falcon/Special to TSN]
Both backlines provided tremendous resistance against the opposition. Still, in the end, freshman Carsyn Broxterman made a stellar pass to Lenherr for the goal, which spoiled Topeka High’s night late in the second half and gave Hayden the win.
“I was happy with the win even though I thought we struggled at times,” Hayden coach Klaus Kreutzer said. “Topeka High is a good team, and I thought we were able to create some good opportunities against them. We didn’t do well in taking care of those opportunities but having said that, (we) stayed with it and persevered in the end. We need to keep working.
“I think with Carsyn (Broxterman) passing the ball; it was a great look on her part and a great run on Jill’s part. Jill finished it well. A lot of times, you can get there and give it up to the goalkeeper, so the goal was satisfying.”
Freshman Lauren Borjon, who has split time between the pipes with freshman Kadence Watts this year, recorded the fourth shutout for the Wildcats this season. Borjon didn’t face immense pressure on Monday night but capitalized on the opportunities to help Hayden get the victory.
The Wildcats, who improved to 5-3-1 overall and 2-1-0 in the Centennial League, are a young squad that is learning on the fly quickly. Two out of its three losses were by a 1-0 margin, and the team hopes to continue building on the success they’ve experienced this season.
“Hopefully, we continue to build on the things that we’ve done well,” Kreutzer said. “We had a couple of tough games last week, and I hope we remember the good things we’ve done. Then, we’ll keep going from there.”
Topeka High (5-5-0, 0-2-0) has been plagued with injuries in the last two weeks. But, even with the lack of numbers, the Trojans are battling every time they step on the field, which is something Topeka High coach Derek Snook knows his team will do on a nightly basis.
“I’m pleased with the all-around effort despite having very few subs,” Snook said. “Hayden did what they needed to. They had opportunities, and we had very few. So I’m satisfied with the effort, just not some of the things that come with the effort. We’re missing passes, getting behind the defense and not following through on balls.
“The effort in the defensive third, the middle of the field and the attack were a little lacking. But the girls went out there and busted their tails. I’m hoping that getting people back will help us out. Unfortunately, we had another centerback banged up tonight. We will see if we can get healthy in the next couple of days and get after it again on Thursday.”
Hayden’s next contest will be a home match against non-league opponent Baldwin City on Thursday. Topeka High will get a home match on Thursday as well as they will host Centennial League rival Junction City.
HAYDEN 1, TOPEKA HIGH 0
Hayden (5-3-1, 2-1-0) 0 1 – 1
Topeka High (5-5-0, 0-2-0) 0 0 – 0
Goal – Hayden: Lenherr. Shutout – Hayden: Borjon.
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By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
The Shawnee Heights girls soccer team hung with one of the state’s top Class 5A teams for more than a half Monday, but in the end, the T-Birds fell to St. James Academy 4-0 at the Bettis Family Sports Complex.
Abby Fleischer and a veteran Shawnee Heights soccer team will be looking to build off a tough schedule to mount a late-season charge this spring. [File photo/TSN]
Shawnee Heights permitted just one goal for the first 45 minutes of the contest, hanging with the 9-2 Thunder. But the T-Birds struggled to get anything going at the offensive end. In fact, they failed to record a shot on goal throughout the contest, while the visiting Thunder hammered away with 10 shots on the Shawnee Heights goal.
Early in the second half, St. James added an insurance goal. Then midway through the second half, the visitors tacked on two quick strikes to create the final margin.
“Obviously, St. James is a really good team and they’re going to be one of the best teams in 5A,” said Shawnee Heights coach Kellen Griffin. “But eventually you’re going to have to go through one of them in the postseason. You might as well get used to playing them in the regular season, too.”
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By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
The Hayden and Rossville softball teams took turns with dominating games Monday on Senior Day at Hayden as the Wildcats and Bulldawgs battled to a non-league doubleheader split.
Hayden senior Alyssa Droge pitched a four-hitter with 10 strikeouts in the Wildcats' 8-1 first-game win over Rossville. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Hayden sophomore Keira Carswell celebrates her grand slam home run in Monday's 8-1 first-game win over Rossville. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Hayden rolled to an 8-1 first-game victory behind senior pitcher Alyssa Droge's four-hitter and 10 strikeouts and sophomore catcher Keira Carswell's grand slam home run before Rossville junior Katie Spielman went the distance for an 8-0 shutout in the second game as sophomore Shyanne Haehn sparked the Bulldawg offense with three doubles, a single and three runs batted in.
Hayden is now 5-9 on the season and Rossville 11-3, with both teams winning three of their last four games.
Hayden was coming off a Centennial League sweep over Junction City and Wildcat coach Cody Reynolds thought his team could pull off a sweep Monday, particularly after the first-game win.
"I really thought we could come in here and win two games today, but I knew (Rossville) would be tough'' Reynolds said. "I was really, really happy to take that first game and I would have loved to take that second game but you can't win a ballgame if you don't score any runs.''
Monday was also a tale of two games for Rossville and coach John Nitsch was happy with how his Bulldawgs bounced back in the second game.
"Katie threw real well for us and we got some key hits when we needed it,'' Nitsch said. "We didn't get that the first game and it makes a little difference when you get the momentum going.
"They came out and took it to us the first game and we just didn't hit it very good the first game. You can't have that many strikeouts and expect to win games. You have to be able to put the ball in play and put the pressure on them a little bit to be able to make a defensive play. Hats off to their pitcher. She threw a heck of a game that first game.''
